


Hug o' War

by DemonicPiano



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: EXTREME SQUEEZES, Hetalia Countries Using Human Names, Hugging, M/M, SPONTANEOUS HUGGING COMPETITION, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:33:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29306562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicPiano/pseuds/DemonicPiano
Summary: Russia goes to a meeting, bumps into America—who randomly insists on getting a hug—and becomes immediately suspicious. America? Wanting to hug HIM? Just because? Likely story. Game on.
Relationships: America/Russia (Hetalia)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	Hug o' War

**Author's Note:**

> Short and tacky! That's what I do best.

Typical morning. Typical meeting.

There was nothing interesting about driving to work, finding a parking spot, paying the meter, riding the elevator, and heading to the meeting room. It was just life. Presentation in folder in hand, Ivan wondered if he would get a chance to give a speech today, if someone would look in his direction and offer the podium. He would like to see everybody's faces when they see all his pictures of baby alligators for the first time (do not ask why a chilled-weather nation has a presentation of the preservation of baby alligators—he has Australia to thank for that).

He woke up, drove to the meeting hall, managed to secure a parking spot, and had his coffee. Good. So far. He considered a hello and even a, "How are you?" on days he felt daring, but any eye he met immediately turned away. He patted his face, in case there was something there that was not supposed to be there, but didn't feel anything different. It was just a day, really. Typical everyday obstacles. Including himself.

A passing conversation. "How's it going?"

"It's going all right, I guess."

Once they funneled into that room and sat in the same spot for more than 15 minutes, some were bound to get angsty. Then it will be not-so-good. For them. Ivan would sit back in his chair, ears pricked for the first passive-aggressive comment. Maybe there will be a slap-fight, separated and pushed out into the hall. Those days are the better kinds of days. Punches get intense much too quickly. Too noisy.

It was a cloudy day but Ivan tried to look on the bright side of things, even if the meeting will most likely be better as an email (except the baby alligator pictures). Bright things, like a hot cup of coffee against the wind and searching for the blue of the sky when there was none above his head. The doors down the meeting hall were so close. Blue skies and sunshine and something to keep him warm-

Someone collided into his shoulder and he almost dropped his coffee, "Ah, sorry-"

One of the few individuals that met his stare head-on. _Blue, blue, blue,_ the sky. It made his throat feel thick. Unfortunately, it wasn't daring at all. Alfred was just stupid. Or he acted like it.

He stuck his arms from his sides. "You wanna go?"

Ivan blinked. "What?"

"Do you want to go?" Alfred repeated louder.

Whatever this was, whatever it was going to be, it was simply too early. Even if the day was going just fine. "Go where?"

"Go! Just go, man!"

"Go away?"

"No! I mean like, 'go.'"

"I do not understand your silly slang."

"Go! I mean _go._ Come on, Braginsky, really?"

"You keep holding your arms out like that. Are you trying to fight, or hug somebody?"

"That's right! Let's go!"

"Let's go...what?"

"Hug!"

"Hug?"

"Yeah! You know what a hug is, big guy?"

"I know what a hug is!"

"Then let's go!"

"Go where?!"

"Hug!"

"Why would I do that?"

"You're not scared of a hug, are you?"

"I am not afraid of a hug." Someone entering the meeting room gave Ivan a funky look over their shoulder. He quickly rectified, "Why would I do that anyway? You could try to pickpocket me!"

"Nah, man, that's not my style. Plus you'd expect it now, right?"

"Well, that's true..."

Alfred flapped his hands without letting down his arms. "Just...come 'ere." _Flap, flap._ "Come here."

Hug? Alfred? No. Maybe. Yes? He wanted something. Definitely. Ivan echoed, "You want something."

"Maybe." Alfred grinned, and Ivan cursed the gray, cloudy skies. "You scared?"

Quickly, "No." Too quickly. Then, "I will expect it."

"That's what I said. That's why I won't do it."

"I'll expect anything."

"Yeah? Even just a hug?"

Ivan took a step to the side. Alfred followed. Ah. Not getting away so easily. Like a barricade to the meeting room. "Why do you want to hug me so bad-"

"I don't want to hug you so bad."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Because you're scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Then why aren't you hugging me?"

Oh no. Ivan glanced around the hall. He could run, either direction—meeting room or toward the elevator—but it would make him look scared, wouldn't it? Running away because of _a hug._ Just a hug.

A hug from _Alfred._ He couldn't trust those. What do Americans do in those silly school movies? Put signs on each other's backs that say 'KICK ME' or 'BRAGINSKY LIKES CUTE BOYS.' Yes, that had to be why Alfred was so insistent on something crude (although true) disguised as something so sweet. Him? Hug for the sake of hugging? How silly!

This man tapped the top of Ivan's shoes whenever they had the (unfortunate) experience of sitting near one another at the meeting and called it 'Footsies.' He asked if Ivan wanted a cup of water once and came back to the table, only to spill it all over his lap! He dared to smile while he said he was sorry, and attempted to wipe it off using his hands. The water was warm anyway. Alfred was most definitely planning evil plots—somehow—with a hug.

He stood there, pretending to be innocent by batting his blue eyes and waving his hands. _Flap, flap._

Ivan could just get it done and over with-

No, no, if he hugs Alfred, he'll tape a mean sign to his back!

If he runs, Alfred will laugh at him, probably to the rest of the world, too. He didn't need that kind of heat. _Just hug—no, run!_ He did not need this dilemma so early in the morning!

"You just going to stand there all day, big guy?"

"Yes," Ivan blurted. His cheeks turned pink, and when his cheeks turned pink and warm, his chest started to flutter. He pressed a palm over his heart. "Why don't you hug me instead, if you want a hug so bad?"

"Why don't we hug each other at the same time?"

"Why do we need to hug at all?"

Alfred took a step forward. "So you don't want a hug?"

Ivan took a step back. "You...you did not answer the question."

"You didn't answer mine, so..."

"So what?"

"I'm just saying." _Flap, flap._ Another step. _Flap, flap._

Ivan tossed a glance to the wall they were inevitably approaching, and dug his heel into the carpet. He swiveled his face so they were practically nose-to-nose. "I am onto you, little man. I know you are up to something."

Alfred was only taken back for a second (it was a peaceful second) until he melted into a smile that crinkled his eyes. "That's okay. You can get on me anytime. I can handle it."

"You really want to fight today, don't you?"

"Ha-ha, you're so silly, Ivan."

They stood there. Staring. Waiting. Wondering.

"Are you gonna do it?"

Ivan smiled. He smiled because this was just so silly; he didn't know what else to do. A hug. They were standing there in the middle of the hall to the meeting room...because of a potential hug. From Alfred. Alfred wanted it. From him. A hug. He never met somebody that _wanted_ to hug him before. Besides his sisters. Unbelievable. It couldn't be true. Could it?

"Are you going to do it, Alfred?"

"Are you?"

"Why me?"

"Why not?"

"You call me silly."

"That's right."

"Are you...being friendly?"

"A hug, Ivan."

A hug would most certainly be much better than sour eyes and gripping fear of what would come the next morning. For now, it was blue skies. Even just for a moment. Alfred was standing there. Asking _him._ A hug. It wouldn't hurt. Besides, if it did, he would learn his lesson to never take hugs from Alfred again. That's how life goes.

Ivan gave his cup in hand a swirl, using it as an excuse to put his eyes somewhere else and glance up and down the hall. Just them. He leaned forward and slipped an arm underneath Alfred's. Soap. Fresh cologne. Coffee. Sunshine. He didn't know what sunshine smelled like but it apparently was this.

Alfred clamped his arms around his back and cheered right next to his ear, "Ha! Gotcha! First one to let go loses!"

"What."

"You heard me. First one to let go loses!"

Ivan stood there, pressed against and holding this man clutching onto him like it was life or death. It wasn't, they were standing in the middle of a meeting hall. He leaned to take a step back, and Alfred went with him. He wasn't shedding him so easily. It didn't take this long to stick a sign on someone's back, so he really, _really_ was hugging him. "Loses what?"

"You lose and then you're a rotten egg!"

A hug, but not. It was...it was a...Ivan didn't know. Some affectionate competition? A weird American thing? What he did know was he would not be a rotten egg. He squeezed Alfred to get a wince, who was too open-minded to be in pain. Sturdy. Strong. He knew that well. Warm. That was a new one. His coffee was getting colder by the second.

It was much kinder than squawking and yelling so much. Ivan thought of him standing on his toes as he had his arms around him and-

_Rubbing circles._

This was indeed a hug. From _Alfred._ His head still reeled, not believing it. Was he still in bed? Did he have to wake up and go through the day for real this time? Why was it so much more pleasant than he could have ever thought? A rare, gentle (aside from the squeezing) Alfred, and he decided to share this private moment with Ivan.

"Getting tired yet?"

"No. Are you?"

"Nope! I bet you are though!"

_Squeeeeze._ Alfred grunted that time. Ivan smiled, "Don't worry, I'm not."

"I wasn't worryin'."

"I'm sure you weren't."

"What in the world?" Someone muttered on their way into the conference room.

"What happens when one of us wins?"

"I don't...uh, bragging rights."

"Bragging rights."

"Yup."

Ivan promptly pushed away and walked toward the meeting room. "No, thank you."

"Hey! Don't be a rotten egg!"

"Too late. I am an egg, but I am not the most rotten out of the bunch."

"Wha...Ivan!" Alfred unleashed a guttural yell. That was the sound of a man's devious plans falling to pieces. A lovely song. Ivan played along and tipped him on his head, sunny-side up. He opened the door and stepped inside, only for a quick shout to come at him from the end of the hall, "Happy Valentines Day!"

Ivan tripped over his feet.


End file.
